Which notes are in the E9 chord?

E9 contains the notes E, G#, B, D and F#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9.

How many ways can you play E9?

Minory lists 3 guitar fingerings for E9, 1 of which is a barre shape. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.

Is the E9 chord hard to play?

Not really. The open position of E9 uses open strings and needs no barre, which makes it approachable for beginners.

E dominant 9th · Guitar

E9 Chord on Guitar

The E9 chord (E dominant 9th) is built from the notes E, G#, B, D and F#. 3 different guitar fingerings for it are shown below.

Chord diagrams

Position 1starts at fret 1

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): muted
string 4 (D): fret 2 — middle finger
string 3 (G): fret 1 — index finger
string 2 (B): fret 3 — little finger
string 1 (E): fret 2 — ring finger

Position 2open position

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): fret 7 — middle finger
string 4 (D): played open
string 3 (G): fret 6 — index finger
string 2 (B): played open
string 1 (E): fret 7 — little finger

Position 3barre shape · starts at fret 6

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): fret 7 — middle finger
string 4 (D): fret 6 — index finger
string 3 (G): fret 7 — ring finger
string 2 (B): fret 7 — ring finger
string 1 (E): fret 7 — ring finger

Notes in this chord

E
G♯
B
D
F♯

Degrees: 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9

How to play

E9 has 1 open position and 1 barre shape. Start with the open voicing if you are new to it; the barre shapes exist to move the same chord further up the neck without changing the key.

Theory behind the chord

Dominant ninth chords extend the dominant seventh with a ninth on top. They keep the pull of a seventh chord but sound fuller and more coloured, which is why funk and soul rhythm parts lean on them. On E9 this structure sits on the root E, so the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9 map onto E, G#, B, D and F#.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the E9 chord?: E9 contains the notes E, G#, B, D and F#. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9.
How many ways can you play E9?: Minory lists 3 guitar fingerings for E9, 1 of which is a barre shape. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.
Is the E9 chord hard to play?: Not really. The open position of E9 uses open strings and needs no barre, which makes it approachable for beginners.

Practise E9 on your phone

Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.